I fondly remember that while curiosity got the better of me , I had promised me that I was going to investigate the questionable content of the weapon that saved my sleep when it was under siege by a rogue Anopheles gambiae. Her battle cry was more damaging as it buzzed away my sleep.

I felt like Thor wielding his hammer when the bug zapper triumphed over the chanting, buzzing bug. It was a swift victory — more of an ambush — a flawless victory that kept me unattacked till morning. I slept with my finger still hugging the trigger.

As I gradually drifted off to sleep, my worries shifted from the chanting mosquito that had just been zapped to the weapon that did the zapping. "What secrets are encased inside this racket?" I kept wondering. And I knew a screwdriver would pave the way to an answer.

It was time for introductions: 'zapper, meet screwdriver' and 'screwdriver meet zapper'

_^unscrewing

There was no time for long pleasantries. The screwdriver seemed to already know where the screws were located. Two were visible from the back, and another three were hidden in the battery compartment, far down the handle.

_{^{opening the battery compartment.}}

I had to press and unclip to open the battery cover. I only felt safe after I removed the two batteries that powered this weapon. There was a clear warning ⚠️ printed on its handle:

This is not a toy
Voltage 3000V

I remembered almost being zapped by 800 volts stored in two electrolytic capacitors in a Packard Bell power pack, long after the unit had been decommissioned and gathered dust in the storage of our training workshop some years ago.

After that experience, I learned to beware of capacitors, inductors, and transformers long after the device may have been disconnected. Some are just so good at storing charges, and they’ll be so generous to let you have it all.

On that day, while following the printed electrical path with my Philips screwdriver 🪛, I mistakenly bridged the capacitor terminals. And up it went — a loud BANG that moved both my heart and guts a few centimetres from their place. "Startled" would be a serious understatement. Because I had unintentionally jumped off my seat.

"What was that?" I was the first to ask myself that before others came asking.

Today's task is not 800V. It says 3000V. That is almost 4 times the 800 volts that almost zapped me.

_{^{The housing is now open, and I can see inside.}}

The printed circuit inside looked comparatively simple, not as aggressive as the power supply unit of a desktop computer - the type that almost zapped me. But it still commanded respect, and I felt obliged to respectfully discharge and confirm the discharge before attempting anything.

I had to send the charge to the earth pin of my wall socket so any residual charge would bleed off into the ground. But I also used the screwdriver to bridge the capacitor terminals. That was just to make sure the capacitor was not holding a grudge. If it was, it would let it go in the form of sound, light and heat.

I had a disappointing silence. The three 22 megohm resistors connected in series as a drain must have emptied the capacitor with their combined resistance of 66 megohms.

_{^{Here you can see three resistors designed to bleed out the capacitor.}}

Now that the screwdriver has done its job, the whole circuit is mine, and I can study it as much as I want. Every component, its functions, and my multimeter have been given a VIP invitation to come over. It's not an autopsy; it's an enquiry.

_{^{Here is the innocent-looking circuit that makes 3000 volts.}}

Conclusion

Once the multimeter arrives, I will be able to run real tests on the circuit; for now, the screwdriver has done what was expected of it. Disassembly was successful. Up next is a close-up study of every component, their supposed function in this circuit and how they interconnect with each other. Just be patient; the multimeter will likely come with a friend or two.

I am inviting @josepha, @lhogic, @sergeyk and @bossj23. Please tell me in the comment section if a circuit looks this simple, can we attempt replicating it?.

This post is the second in a series

The Bug Zapper Adventure
1: How the Bug Zapper Works.
2: The Bug Zapper and the Screwdriver.

Media Credit

Composer	@manuelhooks
Captured with	Galaxy-A15
Posting Date	[Tuesday 25th August]
	(@) 2026